Cloak And Dagger
by ginobi47
Summary: Alternative V is a mistake that must never come to pass. This is the story of the men and women who will do whatever it takes to protect humanity... even from itself.
1. PROLOGUE

PROLOGUE

-:-

AUGUST 2000

EL PASO COUNTY, COLORADO

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY

To a person who was born, raised and educated to protect his motherland, nothing is more painful than leaving his home in order to save it.

He would rather fight and die in his country's battlefield than stay safe, even if that country will never love him back.

Yet here he is, listening to some random lecture in America's most prestigious TSF academy while his country burns. He understands that this is a task only he can do thanks to his physical appearance and bloodline, but it doesnt make him any less frustrated.

Just looking around in class is enough for his blood pressure to spike.

"_Look at them, talking about food, girls and the latest music while the entire world is going to hell... What a bunch of spoiled brats."_

He knows his anger is unjustified and his fellow students are blameless, but when America broke the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, his country and every person in has labeled the Americans as untrustworthy and opportunistic. Grudges run deep, especially in this God forsaken world.

"_Calm down... Getting pissed off right now is counter productive. Better focus on what really matters"_

While he was desperately trying to cool down his overheating brain, a loud voice forcefully snaps him back to reality

"Cadet Nines Rockwell! You better have a damn good reason why you're spacing out on my class!" roared a tough looking instructor.

It took him a couple of seconds to register that the instruct was talking to him.

"_Oh right... I'm Nines Rockwell here... I've been here for a year now but I still cant get used to that name"_

The young man named Nines Rockwell stood at attention in response to the instructors nagging.

Appearance wise, Nines is a typical highschool boy with short blond hair and a lean build. He stands at 5'9" which is fairly average for an American, but a bit tall for those of his home country. All in all, he looks like your average American citizen... Much to his disdain.

"My apologies sir... Our current subject raised a fair bit of unpleasant memories" replied Nines.

Their current subject matter is about the types of known BETAs on earth. Since Nines already learned these a long time ago, this lesson is excruciatingly boring. However, the sight of a certain BETA strain fills Nines with righteous fury, which is why he is pissed off at everything right now.

Surprisingly enough, the instructor softens up a bit after seeing Nines' face. He isnt sure how, but the more experienced TSF pilots could always tell if someone has seen hell just by looking at their face alone.

"_Maybe it's that aura thing that mom keeps saying? Who knows..."_

Either way, the instructor makes a serious yet understanding face.

"Who and how?" asked the instructor, which Nines understood instantly

"My father." Nines replied with great reluctance. "He was ripped apart by a Warrior-class while surveying for a construction firm... Poor guy... The BETA didnt kill him in one shot, so he suffered a fair bit..."

"... Did you see it happen?" asked the Instructor.

"In full HD glory" replied Nines with voice filled with sadness.

"I see... Sit down and make sure to listen this time" said the Instructor as he continues on with the lesson.

As Nines takes his seat, a voice from behind calls his attention.

"What's this? The ever stoic Nines Rockwell is suddenly emotional?... Diarrhea? " jokeda fellow student of African-American origin.

"Everyone has one or two traumas in this day and age. A greenhorn like you wouldnt understand" Nines replied cooly. "Just wait till you see your first BETA... I'll be there to watch you shiver in fright. Mark my words Joshua."

"Ha ha ... Ha... *sigh*... I'm not looking forward to that" replied the student.

Presenting Joshua Brown, a fellow cadet of Nines. Joshua sports a dark brown hair in a crew cut and stands at 6'2" with the physique of a body builder. The guy is an apex predator with a natural talent for seducing and bedding women. In every sense of the word, he is **the man**.

As a man, Nines would very much like to shoot Joshua in the nuts. Never the less, Joshua is the closest thing to a friend that Nines can ever have.

"By the way, there's an interesting rumor floating around. Interested?" said Joshua in a whisper.

"If it's about women, then no." replied Nines in an disinterested manner.

"Oy! Why the hell did you think that I'm talking about babes here?!"

"You seem to enjoy shoving your manly superiority into my face, so I assumed that this is one of those time"

"Well... I cant deny that I enjoy rubbing it in, but that's not the case this time around" said Joshua as he leans closer. "I think this may help you with your grand ambition"

"Ho... I'm listening" replied Nines with piqued interest

"There's actually 2 rumors in my bag of tricks. 1 is very realistic career advancement opportunity while the other is part myth, part facts and no one can tell which is which" said Joshua in a serious voice. "Which one do you want to hear?"

Nines thinks for a couple of seconds, then speaks.

"Let's start with the realistic one then."

"Okay, better listen up coz I don't like repeating myself" said the enthusiastic Joshua as he begins his explanation

Joshua's father, a TSF maintenance engineer, has heard whispers around the base that the 66th Tactical Armored Battalion is looking for fresh recruits to bolster up their ranks. Rumor has it that someone from the 66th have been looking for potential candidates from numerous schools.

Why they are picking candidates from flight schools and not from enlisted military personnel is mystery, but never the less, they seem to have a specific criteria for their potential recruits.

"But here's where it gets interesting man..." said Joshua without hiding the enthusiasm in his voice. "There have been sightings within our school of military personnels! What other proof do you need?"

"Isnt that expected? Our school is one of the premier TSF school in the country. A lot of military suits come in here for one reason or another" replied Nines. "Besides, the annual school wide JIVES competition is just a few weeks away. Recruiters are expected to show up."

"That's true, but get this. One of my lady friends saw someone with an insignia of a black wolf with a moon in the background. That's the 66th!" replied Joshua in an excited yet soft voice. "This could be your... No... Our chance! All we need to do is impress the brass and it'll be a ticket straight to the battlefield!"

Nines descends into deep thought.

True enough, he has stated numerous times that his greatest desire is to be in the frontline and extract excessive violence upon the BETA. This could be the chance that he's been waiting for. It goes without saying that he'll take it.

"By the way, it sounds like you want to join me in my journey to hell. Are you sure about that?" asked Nines

"Come on man. I didn't sign up in a TSF Academy just so I can stand guard and look pretty." said Joshua. "Besides, I lost 3 of my cousins and my grandmother to this damn war. No way I'll miss out on a chance to get some payback."

Indeed, Nines could remember Joshua telling him a fair bit of fond memories concerning his grandmother. Joshua's resolve is definitely solid.

"You'll piss your pants when you face off with your first BETA though..." Nines jokingly replied.

"Ha ha ha... Still not looking forward to that..." Joshua smiles crookedly. "So, what do you say? Shall we give it a shot?"

"Obviously, the answer is yes... But we don't have a team though." said Nines.

"Don't worry about that man. I got it all covered." Joshua gives him the thumbs up. "We can meet the tomorrow if you want"

"Good to know" replied Nines "By the way, what's the other rumor that you were talking about?"

"Oh that. Well, like I said earlier, this is more of a myth than actual fact so I cant vouch for it's accuracy." Once again Joshua makes a serious face. "Have you ever heard of Mobius 1?"

"Who hasn't. I bet every pilot in the States have heard of that guy" replied Nines

Mobius 1 is a enigmatic pilot with a near mythical reputation. Known as the Ace of Aces, it is said that Mobius 1's efficiency rivals that of a full squadron, be it against BETA or other TSF. With his/her signature blue-tinted F-22A Raptor, a fair number of people have seen Mobius 1 perform unimaginable feats.

However, aside from the blue F-22A, no one knows the pilot's name, age, gender, nationality, etc. Even the US Military has denied Mobius 1's existence despite many eye witness accounts. Quite suspicious

It is a widely accepted fact in the US military that Mobius 1 is the greatest American pilot in history.

"So what about Mobius 1?" asked Nines.

"Well, there has been rumors that the brass has planned to create a Mobius Squadron with Mobius 1 on the center" replied Joshua. "I don't know their criteria for candidate selection, but it's worth keeping in mind that we might be in their sights."

"*sigh*... You did warn me that the second one is more of a myth..." said Nines with a sigh. "Well, whatever. Are you sure that you'll be able to get a couple of people for our team by tomorrow?"

"No prob. Since the rules states that only flights can participate, getting 2 more shouldn't be much of an effort" replied Joshua with a smile.

"I see... Good. This could be the beginning of one hell of an adventure Joshua. Best be ready."

"He he he. Got that right brother"

FYI: their little heart to heart talk in the middle of class didn't go unnoticed. As punishment, the two were sentenced to cleaning every bathroom within their floor.

-:-

AFTER SCHOOL

Nines Rockwell's home is fairly large, especially if you consider what he was used to back in his homeland. It is a rectangular complex with only one floor, 6 bedrooms, 1 living room, 1 kitchen and 2 bathrooms.

In every sense of the word, this your standard everyday American house hold... If it wasnt for the expensive looking Ferrari F-355 parked right in front of it.

"_Geh... So she's here huh... I wonder what mind breaking event will I experiencing this time..."_

As he enters the house, he is greeted by the sight of 2 people in the living room.

First is a green haired old man with the body of someone who can rip a bear with his bare hands. This person is Nines' father figure, his mentor and his personal body guard. His name is Tsukuyomi Kentaro.

"Welcome home Soujiro-sama." Kentaro bows politely, much to Nines' annoyance

"I know I keep telling you this everyday gramps, but please stop calling by that name." replied Nines. "I even call you gramps because you told me to"

"I will call you Nines when you remove that annoying pause every time you hear that name!" Kentaro replies harshly. "We are here for a long term secret mission and you are compromising it with your inability to adapt!"

Kentaro would have proceeded with his nagfest if it wasn't for the timely interruption of their guest.

"Now now Ken, let the boy off the hook for now. It's painful to watch the great Kujou Soujiro grovel on his knees" said the beautiful woman.

"Silence Kouzuki Mitsuko! I swore to his mother that I would raise him to be a proper man while keeping him safe, and I will succeed without fail!" roared Kentaro at the woman named Mitsuko

"No need to shout Ken. I'm just saying that you can rip him apart later. We have some important matters to discuss" Mitsuko replied coolly.

Introducing Kouzuki Mitsuko, an incredibly beautiful woman and a photographer... Or atleast that's what she tells people. In reality, she is a genius spy that has wormed her way into the bowels of America's government. Nines isnt really sure what her position is, but he is sure that she has a heavy pull on the law making process. She is also Nines' informant and direct superior.

But enough about her.

Reintroducing Kujou Soujiro aka Nines Rockwell, the illegitimate child of one of the Reagent Houses of Japan. Born from, what the Japanese calls, an illicit affair between American father and a Japanese mother, Soujiro is the shame of the Kujou family. Because of his **dirty blood**, he carriers no privilege that normally given to a noble.

However, thanks to his American-ish appearance, Soujiro was trained at an early age to be a **sleeper agent**, and if fortunate enough, an **agent of influence. **His task is more or less like Kouzuki Mitsuko, except his field is within the military.

Hated as he is by his own countrymen, Soujiro serves their interest never the less. That's just how much he and his father loves Japan.

"Let's begin shall we?" said Mitsuko as she takes out a folder from her bag. "The Congress is as chaotic as ever. Pro Alternative V people still has the advantage this time around, but thanks to those pictures that Christian fundamentalist released, the Anti G Bombs are gaining ground. They're doing poorer than what I like, but it's much better than our situation a few years back."

"Are we winning?" asked Kentaro as he scans through the papers.

"Well no. But we're not loosing either" replied Mitsuko with a sigh. " As long as humanity is under the threat of extinction, Alternative V will always be an option. I can still pull enough strings to bolster the Anti G bomb faction, but those are temporary measures at best."

"I see... I'm guessing the others are experiencing the same difficulties?" asked Soujiro.

"Unfortunately, yes. Right now, we need as much pull as we can get to keep the Pro Alternative Vs at bay. " Mitsuko replied as she massages her forehead in frustration. "Listen well Soujiro because this is important. Me and the others are reaching the limit of what we can control in the political arena. Any more rash actions could blow our cover, do you understand?"

Soujiro nods affirmatively

"Now more than ever, we need the military on our side and only you can pull it off" said Mitsuko in all seriousness. "We cant use anyone that looks like a foreigner because they're too obvious. You on the other hand, is blessed with the looks of an American, so bonding with other soldiers is much easier. It is imperative that you climb the ranks and gain authority so that we can have more means to prevent America from making the biggest mistake of it's history , do you understand?"

"Maam yes maam!" Soujiro replied with a crisp salute.

"Good. Do what you need to do in order to succeed." said Mitsuko "You might have to do something that you hate, but always remember that Humanity's existence is at stake here."

"I will not fail. That I promise you"

Once again, Kujou Soujiro/ Nines Rockwell hardens his resolve, for preventing the Alternative V will take as much cunning, skill and luck as facing the BETA.

-:-

**AUTHORS NOTES  
**

Not a real fan of making Authors Notes, so dont expect one any time soon.

I'm just gonna give a basic outline on what to expect on this work.

1. I was actually gonna do a Shirogane Takeru centered story, but the over abundant stories with him as the lead kinda turned me off.

2. Lots of OCs mixed in with a fair bit of cannon characters.

3. Follows the Alternative Timeline and beyond

4. I'm not well versed in politics, so if anyone spots something wrong with my reasonings and stuff, let me know.


	2. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

A-01 SELECTION METHOD

-:-

AUGUST 2000

DAWN

A FIELD SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE THE CITY

Every war has its traitors.

This is a sad and painful fact in organizations with enough power to change the lives of millions. There will always be someone who thinks differently with the organizations goals, which often leads to action in direct contrast to those said goals.

This is the main reason why every organization in this god forsaken world has their very own espionage division.

It is a sad testament on how prone humans are to petty in-fighting, even at the face of possible annihilation.

Now here's a question for the audience.

Which organization presently possesses the largest and most powerful spy network in the world?

If your answer is America then you are sadly mistaken.

True, America does seem to pop up all over the world, dishing out 36mm rounds of freedom wherever they go, but they are only second to the worlds largest organization: the United Nations.

Ironic isnt it? For an organization that was suppose to bring all of humanity together, the UN knows more than anyone that people will always care for their personal interests first. Humanity will never stand together even under the threat of extinction.

FYI: Believe it or not, the UN Army is not the American Army. Despite the popular belief that the UN is America's lap dog, the UN harbors great distrust to a country that advocates the use of weapons of mass destruction. With more than half of it's staff from countries that were lost to the BETA, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that many of the higher ups are anti-Alternative V supporters.

With that in mind, the UN started in the year 1980 a top secret long term espionage project called CLOAK AND DAGGER in order to influence the world's governments into working together for the greater good of man.

With hundreds of thousands of agents all over the world, Cloak And Dagger is the second most ambitious project The UN has ever undertaken (the first being the Alternative Plans)

Due to the potentially lethal consequence of each agent's mission, all agents must independently prepare themselves for any and all eventualities.

Depending on how you look at it, Nines is fortunate/unfortunate to have Tsukuyomi Kentaro by his side. Coming from a long line of ninjas, the old man is an entire library of combat knowledge, ranging from basic wilderness survival to psychological torture methods.

At the moment, old man Ken is displaying his ability of teaching. Based on their studies of the American combat doctrine which revolves solely on range combat, the melee centered fighting style that was burned into Nines' bones since his childhood is horribly incompatible.

To remedy this, Nines is extensively trained in the fine arts of the Gun Sweeper.

As effective as Ken is at teaching, Nines cant help but feel unease in his teacher's _extreme _training exercises.

At the moment, the duo is at a plain somewhere outside town.

Nines stands about 10 meters away from his sweatshirt wearing mentor, who is currently wielding a standard issue (and fully loaded with rubber bullets) Beretta M9 pistol. On the other hand, Nines is unarmed and the only protection he has is a defective Fortified Suit. Defective in a sense that none of its electrical components are functioning.

His current training regiment revolves on improving his reaction time.

It is said that an average human has a reaction time of .215 seconds. This can be reduced to .03 seconds via extensive training.

How does his mentor plan to train Nines on this one?

It's simple really. Ken will shoot while Nines tries his very best to dodge. By repeating this process multiple times, Nines will achieve the ability to quickly recognize an action that will cause him harm (in this case, a gun being pointed at him) and act accordingly before that action is carried out (moving out of the bullet's projected flight path). If he can dodge something that flies at the speed of sound, anything slower would be cake walk.

"_On the downside... Getting shot at, even with the fortified suit, is down right sadistic."_ thought Nines as he watches Ken level the gun his way. _"Rubber bullets wont kill me... But it'll hurt like hell... *sigh*"_

Without as much as a warning, Ken began unloading a magazine at Nines.

Thanks to more than a year of being in the receiving end, Nines dodges the hailstorm of bullets with bit of effort. While keeping a close eye on the gun, Nines sways left and right while the bullets whiz past his body.

"Ho... It's the first time I've ever unloaded an entire magazine without hitting you once. Impressive" said Ken as he quickly reloads and resumes firing.

"I would be jumping with joy right now if you would give me some time to celebrate!" Nines roars as he dodge rolls to avoid getting hit.

"Stop? Preposterous! If anything-" Ken takes out another gun and aims it at Nines. "- this signifies that we must move to the next level."

"_Oh... crap..."_

Nines ran.

It wasnt a tactical retreat in preparation for a counter attack, but a mad dash with self preservation as the main and only priority.

And as you'd expect from a field with no cover what so ever, it only took 5 seconds before the old man scored multiple and very painful shots on Nines' back. In desperate attempt, Nines drops to the ground and curls up like a ball, causing the old man to stop firing

"Very good. Very good indeed" said old man Ken as he sheaths guns. "I see you have not only improved your reaction time, but your judgment as well. Performing a fetal position while lying on the ground increases the chance that a stray shot may hit your head, something that I would avoid at all costs. Abusing your opponent's weakness is a very basic yet very hard to realize tactic. You, my young student, have the makings of a great soldier."

"Ha ha ha... Thanks" replied Nines.

Truth be told, Nines' reasoning for the fetal position is simply because he is afraid of getting hurt anymore than he already has. Tempted as he may to inform Ken that he's overanalyzing things, he decides against it in order to preserve the old man's happiness.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you something" said Nines while still lying on the ground

"And that is?" replied Ken

"Since I'm suppose to fit in with the American combat doctrine, I've been wondering why you never really taught me anything related to kill stuff?" said Nines.

Ever since being assigned as an American Sleeper Agen over 18 months ago, Nines' training abandoned the standard Japanese curriculum for something else. While this shift was expected, he was surprised to find out that his new training regimen was not the standard American combat doctrine.

His training prioritized survival above anything else. Regardless if it is TSF or physical capabilities, Ken trained him to dodge, hide, track and chase but never shoot. In those 18 months of hellish training, he has never held a weapon even once.

"There is a very good reason for your training, so please understand that I did what I had to do." said Ken, effectively making Nines uneasy. "Well the main reason is because that you were trained in Japan. While your melee fighting style is an indicator, it is the fact that you were trained that blows your cover completely."

Now the pieces begins to fit.

Though Nines/Soujiro is treated as an illegitimate child due to his mixed blood, it does not change the fact that he is the eldest child of the noble Kujou clan. His mother (the head of the Kujou at that time) used her influence to have Soujiro demoted to the lowest rank of the Royal Guard, thus avoiding exile in the process.

As a part of the Royal Guard, Soujiro received training at a very young age, something that an average American youth should never have.

In layman terms, Soujiro is simply too experienced in combat to pass off as a recruit.

"In short, I have been trying to degrade your skills to match that of American of your age. Do you understand?" asked Nines

"Sure, I understand perfectly" replied Nines. "But why bother training me in survival? Even I can tell that the stuff you put me through is already way past the advanced course. If you want me to fit in perfectly, then you shouldnt train me at all."

"While you are correct in a mission stand point, I would like you to remember your place" said Kentaro in a very serious manner. "You are still the head of the Kujou clan and you are a vassal to the Shogun. This fact will not change no matter where you are. As a member of the Royal Guard, keeping you alive is my first and only mission."

"*sigh*... As much as I appreciate the flattery, there's no way you could have forgotten that I am officially demoted, right?" replied Nines.

Old man Ken massages his head in annoyance.

"Right... I keep forgetting that you have zero political experience... No wonder you're so clueless in this matter" replied Ken. "In Japan, nobility is a hereditarily title and you will stay that way unless: A. You die or B. The Emperor stops recognizing you as one. And for your information, the Emperor has not renounced your nobility."

Nines is left speechless.

It is true that he has been kept out of the political loop for most of his life so he assumed that the words of of his mother were true. Clearly he is mistaken

"Then why would mom go out of her way to completely remove me from Japan?" asked Nines in confusion.

"Well, that's actually my suggestion." Ken replied guiltily.

"Why?"

"Though I know I am stating the idiotically obvious, I would like to remind you that there is a certain degree of Anti-American racism in our country." said Ken in a sad voice. "Can you imagine how the people would react if they found out if one of their leaders has an American connection?"

As stupid as it may sound, Japanese people value lineage a fair bit. Discovering that their leader has some sort of connection to their most hated _ally_ could lead to some fairly undesirable events.

"As I said earlier, there are to ways to remove the nobility status from a person." said Ken "First is when the Emperor no longer recognizes you as one... And the other one is-"

"Death." finished Nines.

"Correct." Ken replied with a hint of sadness in his voice. "In order to avoid this, I advised your mother to entrust you to me while your half sister takes your place as the head."

Kujou Himenomiya, Nines' half sister, was born from the arranged marriage of his mother and some high ranking Japanese official. From what he heard from Ken, Hime is one very shrewd girl despite being 5 years younger than Nines. Famed for her effective yet heavy handed political tactics that she learned from their mother, a number of people are alarmed by her entrance to the political arena.

"As cold and cruel as your mother may be, she does hold a not-so-small soft spot for you two" said Ken. "She knows that she cant stop you from being thrown into danger, but remember that she would want nothing more than for you and your sister to be at her side."

Nines stays silent as he takes it all in. The fact that someone still cares for him back in the country that hates his very existence is a big uplifter. It has been so long since he has been truly happy.

... That is until the sound of a familiar click is heard...

Once again, Ken loads his guns with rubber bullets.

"Round Two." said Ken with an evil glimmer on his otherwise peaceful eyes.

"H-hold on... Cant I atleast have some time to be happy?" asked Nines

"Being happy is good. It motivates you to do better." Ken takes aim with both guns. "And what better way to do better than to train harder?"

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-!"

-:-

LATER THAT DAY

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY CAFETERIA

"_Painful... Living is so freaking painful..."_ thought Nines as he rest his face on the cold cafeteria table.

A few hours ago, a old deranged man with 2 Beretta M9s unloaded 6 magazines of rubber bullets into him. Even with the protection of a malfunctioning fortified suite, Nines was not saved from the intense pain that shot through his body.

He knows that it's for his own good, but only a masochist could willingly put himself through that torture.

"_I'm gonna feel these until the end of the week... *sigh*"_ Nines thought in annoyance.

At the moment, Nines is waiting for Joshua Brown in the middle of the cafeteria. As per his promise yesterday, Joshua went to get 2 more people in order for them to participate in the JIVES competition 2 weeks from now.

While it's called the JIVES **competition**, it is actually just an entire day of showcasing one's TSF skills. Aside from a cheap looking trophy, the participants will get nothing even if they win.

The main appeal to join the competition is to impress the higher ups and instated in a good position and rank. A good position in the Army means being assigned to better equipment, which directly leads to a much better chance of survival.

Which would a person rather pilot, a F4-Phantom or a F15 Eagle?

If that person is, let's say, a First Lieutenant in rank. There is a high chance that he/she will get the F-15 or maybe something higher if lucky.

On the other hand, someone with the lowest rank possible will get the left overs, which also results to a very significant drop in survival rate.

In short, this competition decides if a recruit will die after 3 minutes or after 3 weeks. A fairly big deal in everyone's eyes.

The competition is purely TSF vs TSF with a city ruin as their battleground. To keep it fair, all students are using F15Es with AMWS-21 and combat knifes as armaments. The students gets to decide how to mix those weapons into their combat logic.

It goes without saying that it all comes down to individual skill and teamwork, much to Nines' distress.

"_Individually, I think I can do a pretty decent job... But no one ever wins alone... I cant really expect a hastily formed group to act like a team."_

In short, they are screwed at the very go.

"_I shouldnt think like that. This competition is my ticket back to the front line and I'm sure hell gonna use it."_

While still sorting out his feelings, Joshua Brown and two others takes the vacant seats around Nines. As expected of Lady Killer Joshua, the people he brought with him are all female.

"What happened to you?" asked Joshua without a hint of sincerity in his voice

"Nothing really. Just thinking about the possible existence of the soul and where it goes after a person ceases to live and breath." replied Nines in a monotonous manner. "It's an interesting train of though especially when no one really knows the meaning of life. Are we truly alive? Or are we just some highly intelligent monkeys that is getting ahead of itself? Such profound questio-"

"OKAY! I'm stopping your crazy monologue right here!" Joshua rudely interrupts Nines.

"Tch... Kill joy" replied Nines

Nines is actually thankful for that, simply because he was running out of things to say. Talking about intelligent crap is very hard to do, especially when Nines didnt have any time to prepare in advance.

Comedy is like a military operation. While you can make it up as you go, it is still better to have ample preparation time

... Not like it matters in this situation...

"Well then, I turned down an invitation from another team in order to help my little brother" said a beautiful African American girl whom was brought by Joshua. "This better be not a waste of my time."

"Ha ha ha. Sorry about that Sis." said Joshua as he turns on his serious mode. "I'm sure that you guys already know me, but for the sake of moving things along, I'll start with my intro. My name is Joshua Brown and I'm a Rush Guard"

Joshua then signals one of the girls to talk. Judging from looks alone, the girl seems to have some French blood in her veins. Sporting a short wavy orange hair and large green eyes, the girl with a petite stature politely introduce herself.

"Nice to meet you all. I am Jeanne Ducasse and I came here a year ago from France... Or what's left of it" said the orange haired woman in a graceful manner. "My role is that of an Impact Guard and I hope I would be of use."

"Ho..." said the impressed brown skin girl that Joshua called Sis.

Nines actually shares her sentiments. The girl named Jeanne seems to be a well cultured girl despite coming from one of the frontlines. She seems to be the type of girl that no one could bring to hate.

"And she's my girlfriend." inserted Joshua, causing Jeanne to blush profusely.

SILENCE

.

.

.

.

"Jeanne... You seem to be a decent girl, but you have horrible taste in men" said the brown skinned girl.

"Hey! I resent that!" Joshua turns to Nines for support. "Come on man! Back me up here"

"... I exercise my right to remain silent." replied Nines

"Wa?! That's just mean! Does our friendship mean nothing to you?!" said Joshua as he lets lose his Shakespeare side

"Are you sure you want me to talk?" replied Nines in a very cold manner. "Are you **absolutely 100% sure** that you want to hear the next few words that will come out of my mouth?"

"N-no... It's fine"

As expected, Joshua is taken aback by Nines' fierce glare. Both of the men knows that Nines has very incriminating knowledge of Joshua's love life. At the moment, Joshua has 3 girlfriends with Jeanne included.

Fortunately for Joshua, this 3 have different occupations on different parts of the town so the chances of them meeting each other is slim to none. It is a feat of manipulation that even Nines cant help but admire.

"It's my turn next." said the brown skinned girl in a voice filled with authority. "My name is Samantha Brown, and for some unknown reason, I am Joshua's older sister. I'm actually about to graduate to a full TSF pilot in a couple of days, but like most of the participants in this game, I'm joining in to make my resume a bit more colorful. Since I am the one that taught Joshua the ropes of TSF piloting, it's natural that I am a Rush Guard as well."

Sporting a long brown hair that is tied to a ponytail, the silver eyed Samantha Brown presence exerts overwhelming authority despite being half a head shorter than Nines.

With all eyes turning to Nines, it's his turn to introduce himself.

"Good day everyone, my name is Nines Rockwell. Though I am a pure blood American (LIES!), I was born and raised overseas, so please dont be surprised if I have some _unusual_ quirks" said Nines in his businessman tone. "Normally I'm a Gun Sweeper but based on our line up, I might have to act as a Storm Vanguard."

"Ho? You can do that? I thought it's hard to switch roles once you trained on one." asked Samantha.

Though her voice is gives out an impression of disinterest, her eyes glowed with the desire to know more.

"Well, the difficulty of changing roles only applies to those people who lived their lives in the frontlines." said Nines in a serious manner. "Frontline combatants understand the value of close quarters combat, thus the presence of melee halberds in their load out. Thanks to this, there is a large difference in fighting style between the vanguards and everyone else, thus the difficulty in switching roles"

"And this doesnt affect the Americans?" asked Samantha whom was clearly offended for some reason.

"If the roles are close to each other, then no difficulty should be expected." replied Nines. "Standard American TSF loadout normally comprises of 4 or 3 AMWS-21s depending on the role. Thanks to the lack of melee weapons, an American Storm Vanguards has the same combat logic as the Gun Sweepers. If you add the American long-range-centered combat doctrine to the equation, then our Storm Vanguards are not ment to copy the fighting style of the Vanguards of other nations."

The 3 stares at him with either awe or anger.

Maybe it's not common for Americans to know so much about different nation's fighting style?

"I know that your pissed off Sis, but Nines lived outside America till last year." Joshua tries to calm his obviously angry sister. "The guy has seen what's it really like out there so we cant really discredit his words."

"I know! I'm not angry at him!" roared Samantha in sharp contrast to her words.

"_Looks like she's one of those American patriots... Nothing wrong with that. I'm the same as her in that regards"_

Samantha suddenly stands up.

"Grab your fortified suits and meet up at the simulators. I already made reservations." said Samantha in a cold voice. "Let's see if you can walk your talk Mr. Nines Rockwell"

Samantha storms away, leaving the other 3 with their mouths hanging open and their hearts dreading for what is to come.

"_Well... Looks like I made an enemy"_ Nines sighs in resignation. _"Note to self: Having more experience than others can backfire."_

-:-

2 WEEKS LATER

Alfred Walken has always considered himself as a proud member of the United States of America and tries his best to embody the beliefs of his nation.

Though he may not have a single ounce of love for war, he still throws himself at the very heart of the combat in order to defend his nation. And he will continue to do this again and again and again in the very small chance that the war will end.

"_I will perform my mission, no matter what it is, without a fail and I will do it with as little sacrifice as possible."_

These words are not not something as flimsy as a promise nor a creed... These words are scientific facts, and facts can't be overturned no matter how much BETAs are thrown at it.

Though there are times where he cant help but question the sanity of the ones in charge. There are orders that make no sense what so ever and their completion gains them nothing but wasted time and resources.

Such moments are happening right at this very moment.

Alfred Walken is currently acting as a _military adviser_ to a UN recruiter, and at the same time, he is tasked of looking for possible candidates to bolster the 66th Tactical Armored Battalion.

He and the UN recruiter are also here to see the results of a new type of TSF pilot screening test called the A-01 Selection Method. While Aflred has no idea what is the criteria used in this method, the extremely brief description provided by the head of Alternative IV states that it has something to do with one person's ability to control **casualty information** or something.

Naturally, Walken has no idea what they are talking about, but the higher ups seemed to be 70% convinced that the selection method works. The 30% is left to Walken's judgement if the A-01 is all that it's crack up to be.

It goes without saying that Walken is very unsatisfied with his current assignment, and he would rather be with his men in the front lines than do this. Unfortunately, his personal creed has bitten him on the buttocks which forces him to do the job with utter seriousness.

And so, he and his UN counterpart is forced to watch 13 TSF battles straight. Out of the 17 candidates on the list, they have already seen 15 and they're all fairly good, especially by American standards. Their shots are accurate and their movements are the embodiment of America's hit and run tactic. If given the experience and the luck to survive the front lines, all 15 of them will end up being highly skilled pilots.

Unfortunately, they have yet to see anyone that matches A-01's description of a exceptional pilot... And there is only one match left.

"_*sigh*... At least it's almost over..." _thought Walken as he stretches his stiff back.

"Ho? Bored already Mr. Alfred Walken?" aked the UN recruiter in a playful voice.

"I could ask the same to you Ms. Ogami Ritsuko." replied Walken

Ogami Ritsuko, a young woman with waist-length red hair, is a person that radiates confidence and power even if she doesnt do anything. In the few hours that Walken has known her, he often gets the impression that the young lady is made out of Super Carbon, and he would be surprised if bullets would bounce off of her. Her invincible image is further reinforced by the jacket that she drapes around her shoulder, reminding Walken of those legendary _Banchous _that he heard about from Japan.

Officially, Ogami Ritsuko is a recruiter for the UN, but Walken's instincts tell him otherwise. That aura of invincibility she radiates is not something that can be achieved by a regular pencil pusher. That aura can be felt from many soldiers who have been through hell and back.

"_Ogami Ritsuko... I dont know who you are, but you are clearly not someone to be trifled with..."_

While Walken mused at the young lady's true identity, Ritsuko talks while scanning through her files.

"Two more left huh... I hope these 2 will make this trip worth it" said Ritsuko in grimace.

"I doubt it Ms. Ogami. Though these 2 scored the highest in the A-01 criteria on this school, they're still within the 70+ rating" replied Walken as he inspects his own file. "Samantha Brown with 79.03 and Jenova McGris with 79.58 and the closest score to them is 73.88. They are definitely on the higher half of the fresh recruit pool"

"But I'm guessing you're not interested in any of them" replied Ritsuko.

"Correct. We have no room to teach new recruits the ways of the battlefield, especially with the type of missions the 66th undertakes." said Walken with a tired voice. "And I assume that this is the same in your case?"

"Unfortunately... *sigh*... Our unit actually tried to put regular soldiers in our ranks... And they died in droves" Ritsuko massages her forehead, as if unwillingly remembering a horrible memory. "The regular units are better off fighting against the BETAs than going on our suicide missions."

"I see..." replied Walken in a calm manner.

Though Walken remains stoic, his ears does its best to pick up any clues on Ritsuko's _unit. _Unfortunately, the only thing that Walken could get out of her words is the fact that Ritsuko's unit is a very high risk UN special task group... Possibly even more suicidal than the 66th's covert missions.

"_If my guess is correct, then that would explain why she feels so invincible." _thought Walken

Suddenly, an announcement snaps Walken back into reality.

"**The last battle of our annual TSF JIVES competition is about to begin. Yahweh Flight and Satan Flight , please proceed to your starting points."**

"Wow... Who thought of their call signs?" said Ritsuko while barely suppressing a giggle.

"I heard from a staff that it's the one that organized this years competition. The organizer is a well known man with a flair for the theatrics" replied Walken.

"Ho... I see... Then it's pretty obvious that there's a fair bit of favoritism going on here" Ritsuko checks her files. "Looks like Jenova McGris is on Yahweh while Samantha Brown is on Satan."

Walken looks at his own flies.

Jenova McGris is beautiful teenager with dark blue eyes, short pink and messy hair which makes her looking like a punk. Despite her appearance, her record suggest that she is a highly disciplined person and has received numerous commendations from many of the staff. An exemplary student through and through.

Samantha Brown also shares similar traits to Jenova in terms of overall academic knowledge and practical TSF skills. The only real difference between the two is Samantha's temper which has caused her a bit of trouble in the past.

Never the less, they are equally skilled and they could expect a good fight.

"Favoritism or not, I am actually starting to look forward to their performance" said Walken.

"Indeed. Nothing like a little rivalry to get things heated up!" Ritsuko replied with gusto.

Not only them, but the most of the military personal were anticipating the final battle... And the main attraction came from an unexpected source.

-:-

A FEW MINUTES LATER

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY BATTLEFIELD

Nines has always seen himself as a man filled with hypocrisies and contradictions.

While he says that he is a proud Japanese, he also cant help but feel irritated with a Japanese's stubbornness for honor and dignity even if there is a more logical (yet underhanded) means to achieve something.

On the flip side, while he labels the Americans as manipulative bastards and cowards that cant fight head on, he also believes that there are times that fighting the enemy head on is not the best course of action.

And ever since 2 weeks ago, Nines discovered another contradiction within himself.

While he believes that he is a compassionate and kind man who values human rights and equality above all else, he also enjoys domination a fair bit. It seems that being a sadist runs in the family.

Samantha once took pride in her status as one of the best in the school and her obvious seniority among their small group. Her pride cant take the fact that a newbie is superior to her in some manner.

As expected of two military cadets, the entire affair eventually led to a one on one duel to see who was superior... And Nines made her regret every second of it.

No matter how skilled as a cadet Samantha may be, Nines is simply much more experienced and his fighting style (though severely degraded due to lack of practice) is a bane for the American combat doctrine.

Let's skip the gory details and summarize the entire 2 weeks into a short sentence: Nines completely and utterly destroyed Samantha, to the point that there might be some irrepairable blow to her ego.

Okay... Maybe the previous statement was a bit exaggerated, but Nines cant think of any other logical reason for the control freak Samantha to suddenly turn into a reasonable and cooperative person.

His mother did say that the art of dominating others is a delicate balance of warm kindness and savage cruelty. Following this words, Nines showed the level of savagery befitting a Kujou at the battlefield, but acted like a gentleman outside the battle. Maybe he broke her without knowing it?

"_Well, I'll thing about it later... We have bigger problems" _thought Nines as he makes a quick system check of his F15E

"Is everyone ready?" asked Samantha, their commander, over the coms.

"No problems machine wise" said the ever calm Jeanne

"I'm good" said Joshua

"No issues here" reported Nines.

"I see... Good... Though we have one hell of a hurdle to cross here" said Samantha with a face filled with unease. "To think we'd be paired of with **those guys.**"

Her anxiety is understandable and well placed. Jenova McGris and her team are well known within the school. Individually, the four of them sits at the top 10 of the school's ranking along with Samantha, but the 4 of them have been working as a team for a very long time. There's no way a hastily formed group can match them straight up.

"Man... We're lucky they didnt announce the line up until the very last minutes, or else the opposing team would have scouted us out" said Joshua.

True enough, Jenova's team and their tactics is highly publicized, thus giving a fair bit of people a brief glimpse on what to expect. On the other hand, Samantha's group is barely 2 weeks old, thus comes as a complete mystery to most.

"If I could recall correctly, they have 3 Rush Guards and 1 Gun Interceptor in their line up" said Jeanne. "A very versatile build that can take on any enemy at any range... A bit problematic if I say so myself."

"Well, for now we have the element of surprise... But that'll probably last for the first few minutes of the battle. After that, they'll adapt to any advantage we've got" said

Nines

The four descends into an uneasy silence. Clearly, things are looking fairly grim for them.

"I think we can win this..." said Samantha, much to the group's surprise.

"~Le Gasp! My beloved Sister, Samantha Brown, is being optimistic! Tis the end of days, I tell thee!" said exasperatedly by Joshua

"... And what is that suppose to mean?" said Samantha who clearly did not like Joshua's statement.

"As a professional younger brother, I know for certain that you are a realist" replied Joshua. "While there's nothing wrong about that, being positive is simply not your style"

"Hmm... I cant deny that." said Samantha in an understanding manner, which once again causes Nines to wonder if his bullying has caused some severe psychological damage. " But I'm not being optimistic here. I truly believe that we have a fighting chance here."

"Do explain" said Nines out of curiosity.

"Well listen up then. We dont have a lot of time before the battle starts" replied Samantha as she presents her plan to them.

While bold and downright reckless, Samantha's plan is definitely something that was given a great deal of thought. Even Nines, a fellow realist, was convinced that victory is actually achievable.

-:-

A FEW MINUTES LATER

"**Yahweh Flight verus Satan Flight. Battle Start in 3... 2... 1... GO!"**

At the end of the countdown, the battle begins in earnest.

"Nine- I mean, Satan 4, this plan hinges on your ability to keep them occupied, okay?" said Samantha with a serious face

"Copy Satan 1" replied Nines.

"Good... " Samantha puts on her game face. "Alright everyone, Arrowhead formation. We'll be commencing Operation Sword the second we see the enemy"

"""Roger!"""

In most TSF combat involving new recruits, especially if they have no information on their enemy, they try to feel each other out in order to learn what they can. While there's nothing wrong with being careful, being predictable is a horrible weakness that can be abused.

And Samantha's plan is to do just that.

They start of by slowly scouting for the enemy. While the usual scouting method is to split into smaller groups to reduce the chance of being detected, such practice can also backfire if the opposition has a larger number, effectively overwhelming the scout in the process.

To counter this, Samantha decided to opt an extremely slow yet safe scouting method using all 4 of them. By carefully moving from cover to cover, the Satan Flight makes it hard for their enemies to get a clear shot at them.

"Satan 3 here! I see 4 of them 20 km to the northeast!" Jeanne said with a voice filled with urgency. "I think they still havent spotted us"

"_Ho... So they went for the same strategy huh... I guess great minds think alike" _thought Nines in amusement.

"Satan 4! GO!" roared Samantha

Without even answering, Nines abandons all intents of subtlety and launches his F15E towards the enemy at full speed. The rest of Satan Flight hangs back and switches to sniper mode while Nines act as the tip of the sword and thrusts straight into the enemy.

As expected of the "world's strongest 2.5 generation TSF", the enemy F15E spots Nines on their radar before he could shorten the distance between them. Yahweh Flight takes up a defensive perimeter and began shooting while behind cover.

"_Let's see if getting shot at for 1 year was worth it!"_

Not bothering to counterattack, Nines puts all of his effort on reducing their distance through dodging. After reducing their distance by half, he performs a very non-American combat maneuver and recklessly rocket boosts himself straight into the heart of the enemy formation, much to the enemy's surprise.

He chooses the first opponent he sees and proceeds to do what Gun Sweepers do best, Fire wildly.

As expected of the comrade of Jenova McGris, the enemy pilot reacted fast enough to dodge the heavy volume of fire at the expense of leaving his cover... A big mistake.

No sooner as the enemy abandons the safety of the buildings, 3 sets of precision shots make their mark. Head, leg and jump unit explodes thanks to Satan 1,2 and 3.

"What the hell was that Satan 2?" said Samantha in a teasing manner."Didnt you promise to take out the cockpit?"

"A leg is just as good. Dont sweat the details Satan 1" Joshua cooly replied.

"U-um... Shouldnt we focus more on giving Satan 4 some covering fire?" said the ever gentle Jeanne.

As much as Nines wants to join the discussion, he rushes away from the scene while dodging bullets from the 3 remaining Yahweh Flight.

Samantha's Operation Sword relies on the fact that no one in their school is familiar on how a true Storm Vanguard fights. Only those from the frontline nations (such as Nines and Jeanne) understood the value of close quaters combat, something of which is a foreign concept to the American Combat Doctrine.

By sending Nines into close quarters combat, the enemy's chance of friendly fire skyrockets, which often results to the weapons locking themselves to avoid it, thus buying Nines a second or two of breathing room.

Using that small window, Nines rushes out the enemy formation and retreats with at full speed.

Unfortunately, the Yahweh Flight lives up to its reputation and instantly cuts of Nines' route back to his comrades. They then proceeds to chase him away from his comrades, effectively reducing any chance of receiving any covering fire.

This is the big drawback of Samantha's Operation Sword. Because of the large distance between the Vanguard from the rest of the team, he is effectively isolated from the rest of the team once the enemy's shock wears off.

"_Hmmm... I'm in a pinch, arent I?"_

Nines weaves through the rural metropolis at high speeds while the Yahweh Flight hounds him at all corners. Even with his highly trained reaction time, Nines is at his limit at trying perceive assault fire from 3 different sources while trying to avoid crashing into the buildings.

"Satan 4, you're moving too far ahead!" said Samantha "Try and turn back so we can catch up!"

"Dont be unreasonable Satan 1. These guys are too good to fall for a simple trick like that" replied Nines as dodges another wave of assault fire. "It's only a matter of time before this guys get me, so I'll do my best to take out another one out, okay?"

Samantha descends into a deep thought for a second, then makes her decision.

"Understood. Good Luck." said Samantha

"Roger that."

Once again, Nines focuses all of his conscience to the present. He navigates the confusing urban war zone until he enters a wide street with a large, solid looking building at the very end.

"_Perfect."_

Nines pumps up the speed, which causes his pursuers to speed up as well.

It is standard practice to slow down when making a turn. It is also standard practice to accelerate when performing a rocket boost jump. Judging from how much acceleration the enemies are doing, Nines could guess that they assumed that he'll be performing a rocket boost jump and decided to persue him.

"_Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm ending this here!"_

He increases his altitude, as if performing a rocket boost, then sideflips in order for the F15E's leg to absorb the impact of slamming into the the building. Without a moment's delay, Nines fires up his rocket jump and launches himself towards the enemy with guns blazing.

As expected of such an abnormal chain of events, the enemy who was following Nines so closely was unable to react fast enough. The enemy ended up at the receiving end of a healthy serving of 36mm rounds from 4 AMWS-21 firing in unison, effectively ripping apart the F15E in the process.

"_Alright! Next targe-"_

Nines' jubilation ends quickly as his F15E gets blown to bits by a 120mm round to the cockpit.

"Not bad for a half assed group... I'll be leaving the rest to you guys"

-:-

AFTER THE BATTLE

The roars of victory rocks the school at the end of the battle. Even inside the viewing room reserved for the recruiters, the walls vibrated as the students roared in chorus.

"Ha ha ha! Lively youngsters we have here" Ogami Ritsuko said in a loud voice, extremely pleased on what she saw.

"It cant be helped. American TSF matches are normally careful and boring to watch" calmly replied Alfred Walken. " Such reckless fighting style and TSF acrobatics will always be a sight to behold."

The annual TSF has come to an end with Satan Flight achieving victory over the favored Yahweh Flight, and like Alfred said, it was one hell of a show.

Satan 4 did what most students thought was impossible and took down Jenova McGis with his reckless wall jump maneuver. After Satan 4 took down Yahweh 1, the rest of the Satan flight quickly dispatched the last remaining enemies in order to secure victory.

"I wouldnt be surprised if the battle will be in the news for a few days." said Walken in amusement.

"Really? I dont think those moves were special at all" replied Ritsuko in her usual confident voice.

"Yet you're giving Satan 4 a big round of applause." Walken said in a calm yet sarcastic manner.

"Of course I would. Any 2nd Gen TSF from Japan can pull off a side flip, wall jump and a rocket boost. That's just how maneuverable we made our TSFs." said Ritsuko. "On the other hand, Satan 4 pulled it off with an F15E that was geared for the steady American flying style. How can I not be impressed?"

"That, and the fact that Satan 4 took down the #1 ranked in the A-01 Selection Method?" replied Walken, still with the hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Naturally." said Ritsuko. "By the way, what's Satan 4's real name?"

Walken flips through the participants lists.

"His name is Nines Rockwell" replied Walken

"I see... I'll keep that in mind" said Ritsuko while she suppressed her face from making a very gleeful expression.

In the UN's Cloak and Dagger project is split into 2 major groups that operate almost independently in order to reduce the chance of being discovered.

On one side is the **Cloak **which is mostly composed of spies that infiltrate the world of politics and attempt to control nations from within. Kouzuki Mitsuko is one of higher ranked agents in the American Department.

On the other hand lies the **Dagger **which is the military arm of the project. Their job varies from assassination, corporate sabotage, BETA culling operations, field testing new tech, etc. While Ogami Ritsuko holds a rank of 1st Lieutenant in the UN Army, she is the Captain and Commander of one of Dagger's assault division.

The main reason why Ritsuko even bothered watching the matches is to recruit new non-combat personnel into her severely understaffed unit. She has already achieved her goal about 30 minutes ago and decided to watch the matches in order to keep her cover as a UN recruiter.

Who would have thought that she'd find a person who obviously is assigned to the wrong department?

"_I better talk to Kouzuki about this"_ thought Ritsuko as she stares at the screen.

"His instincts and TSF control are top tier, even if compared to veterans. " said Walken, causing Ritsuko to snap back to reality. " The only real flaw I can see is his below average aim... But then again, that's probably the reason why he fights like a Gun Sweeper."

"Ho... I guess you dont become a Major unless you know what you're doing" said Ritsuko in admiration. "I assume that your statement represents interest?"

"Naturally. While his aim is less than what I like to be, it can be solved by a little training." replied Walken. "The A-01 may have missed out on a diamond and I have no intention of letting it slip out of my grasp."

"I see... Then I'll back off on this one." said Ritsuko as she gathers up her things and prepares to leave.

"Hmm... And why would you do that?" asked Walken.

Without turning around and without answering, Ritusko gives Walken a parting wave.

"_Because I'm just lending him to you Walken... He is as good as mine."_


End file.
